Ayakashi no Miko
by Dementra
Summary: WIP. AU. A greedy father employs whatever means he could to guard his treasured and gifted daughter, including a clan of onmyouji and a group of travelling youkai slayers, changing everything for the Nura Clan and the Kyoto youkai. Warning: violence, death, moral issues, gender / status inequality, etc. IY/NoM xover.
1. Gilded Cage (1600)

_**Ayakashi no Miko**_

**Yes! Made it in time for Christmas. In my time zone. Though, it's a bit shorter than I had planned. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Oneshot vs. Chapter-fic**

In the oneshot, Hagoromo Gistune's defeat is pushed back 100 years. In the chapter-fic, the Shikon adventure is pushed forward 100 years. I'm also adding more events prior to Hagoromo Gitsune's defeat to the chapter-fic. The chapter-fic should be less cheesy _(I blame the cheesiness of the oneshot on my lack of sleep [wrote the entire thing for more than 24 hours without sleep] and on the possibly cheesy romance fics I've read back then)_. The romance between Kagome and Nurarihyon will take longer to develop in the chapter-fic.

**IMPORTANT BACKGROUND INFO**

**Timeline**: The manga _Inuyasha_ was first published in 1996, so that's the year Kagome turns 15 and is dragged down the well. She arrives 500 years in the past in 1496, which is during beginning of the Sengoku period / Warring States period (1467-1603) about 100 years before the birth of Oda Nobunaga.

The manga _Nurarihyon no Mago_ was first published in 2008. Hagoromo Gitsune was defeated by Nurarihyon 400 years before then, so it's 1608, which during the beginning of the Edo period / Tokugawa period (1603-1868) and 10 years after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death (1598) and Toyotomi Hideyori's succession. But, the canon events seems to imply that "400 years ago" occurred only a few months or years after Hideyoshi's death, so I'm not too sure about the date.

In _Ayakashi no Miko_, the Shikon adventure is bumped up 100 years to 1596, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1600), which is near the end of the Sengoku period. It's also 2 years before Hideyoshi's death. On the other hand, Hagoromo Gitsune's defeat is pushed back a few years to 1600. The Shikon adventure lasts 3 years, ending in 1599, which gives Kagome and co. a year before meeting Nurarihyon and Hagoromo Gitsune. On another note, Kagome is 19 years old in 1600.

**Setting**: In _Inuyasha_, the Higurashi Shrine is located in Tokyo, meaning Kaede's village is also in Edo _(Tokyo's name in the past)_. Kyoto lies west of Edo/Tokyo. And Sesshoumaru is called the Lord of the West, though the lands he ruled over was never really specified. In _Nurarihyon no Mago_, Yohime, Yodo-dono _(Hagoromo Gitsune's then reincarnation)_, and the Nura Clan lives in Kyoto in the past, though it was implied/stated that the Nura Clan used to be stationed in Edo. After Hagoromo Gitsune's defeat, the Nura Clan moves to Edo. In _Ayakashi no Miko_, the Shikon adventure occurs in the northern regions of Japan and Kaede's village / Higurashi Shrine is not located in Edo/Tokyo. Sesshoumaru is the lord of the western areas of the northern regions of Japan. Since the Shikon adventure happens almost exclusively in the northern regions, the youkai elsewhere in Japan doesn't really know about the Shikon no Tama.

**Reiki users**: In _Inuyasha_, miko and houshi are repeatedly seen as being capable of killing, sealing, or shielding against youkai. On the other hand, in _Nurarihyon no Mago_, onmyouji seems to seal youkai more than killing them. Plus, most onmyouji require shikigami or special weapons _(these weapons doesn't seem to be onmyouji specific, as evidenced by Nenekirimaru, which could be used by anyone) _to attack while miko and houshi use tools to help direct their reiki. As such, in _Ayakashi no Miko_, in regards to their reiki's capability to kill youkai, it's miko as the strongest, houshi, and then onmyouji. Of course, there are differing power levels amongst individuals.

**Youkai/ayakashi**: _Inuyasha_ only used the term "youkai", while _Nurarihyon no Mago_ used both "youkai" and "ayakashi", the latter seems to be used more often in the past-arcs. Youkai's energy / powers are called "youki" in _Inuyasha_, but in _Nurarihyon no Mago_ used the term "youki" more in the beginning and the term "Fear" almost exclusively later on. So, in _Ayakashi no Miko_, youkai is a general term while ayakashi is a subgroup, consisting of youkai who either used to be human or whose creation was related to humans, e.g. born from human myths. All youkai could use youki, but ayakashi's youki takes the form of Fear, which, according to _Nurarihyon no Mago_, is related to human belief / fear and other ayakashi's admiration / fear.

**Time system**: The Japanese calendar naming system mostly depends on who is ruling at the time, so it constantly changes. It was in 1873 that the Japanese government adopted the Gregorian calendar _(i.e. the calendar system most of the world uses nowadays)_. Well, I have no clue how to incorporate the olden Japanese calendar into my fanfic without lots of research and calculations, so I'm using the system I know best and will refrain from using dates except in the chapter title.

However, I will be using the traditional Japanese time system_. _From what I've read, there are twelve hours in a day, whose length varies with each season depending on solar time. The 12 hours are sectioned into 2 groups of 6 hours each, and the 6 hours are further divided into 2 groups of 3 hours. The first 6 hours start at sunrise while the last 6 hours start at sunset. The 4th hour of the first 6 hours starts at noon whereas the 4th hour of the last 6 hours starts at midnight. And the hours are named after the zodiac. The day begins at the hour of the rabbit (sunrise), followed by dragon, snake, horse (noon), goat, monkey, rooster (sunset), dog, pig, rat (midnight), ox, and finally, tiger.

**Name system**: I'm following Japan's naming system of last name first. Unless, for some reason, a Westerner appears, but I'll explain things then as a reminder of the differences.

**Princess**: The term "princess" refers to daughters born in nobility. The "imperial princess" would be the daughter of an emperor.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

**Terminology**

Shikon no Tama — Jewel of Four Souls

Shikon no kakera — Shikon shards

Youkai / Ayakashi — demon / spirits (_read background notes_)

Kitsune — fox demon

Reiki — spiritual energy (human)

Youki — demonic energy / aura

Taijiya — demon slayer

Houshi — monk

Miko — priestess

Onmyouji — literally "yin-yang master"; they are humans with the ability to fight youkai and use other techniques

Ofuda — strips of paper with special writing on it. They can be used to summon shikigami, produce barriers, amongst other things

Kazaana — "wind tunnel"; Naraku cursed Mirokui's grandfather's line with it. It serves to be both a weapon and their death sentence. It disappeared with Naraku's death.

Hiraikotsu — Sango's large demon-bone boomerang

Chichiue — formal very respectful way of saying father

Hahaue — formal very respectful way of saying mother

-sama — a formal suffix, generally used with people of a very high rank

-dono — a formal suffix, generally used with those of a high rank or people of respectable occupation and rank

-chan — a less formal suffix, generally used with children or with females of lower or equal ranking or with family members

**Chapter 1 Gilded Cage (1600)**

Despite the clear sunny sky, a storm was brewing. They could sense it, even from the outskirts. In a large city like Kyoto, it wasn't surprising to find numerous youkai, especially the weaker ones who would have plenty of prey and hiding spots. However, they tended to prefer maintaining undetected by predators and humans alike. After all, large cities also usually had reiki users who would hunt them upon discovery.

So, the air really shouldn't be shimmering with youki. This would only happen if a majority of the weaker youkai decided to actively flaunt their powers, which would mean they had the confidence to back it up, or a powerful youkai had staked its territory here, or both.

Regardless of the reason, this was not a good thing; and they couldn't just leave this alone, allowing innocent humans suffer. Besides, they hadn't practically saved the world from youkai threat last year just to have another rise up in his place so soon.

The trio exchanged looks, tightened their hold on their weapons, sharpened their senses, and entered the city.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Kagome glanced around, taking in the view. Sometimes, it still felt like a dream — falling down a well to end up four hundred years in the past where she had travelled across northern Japan, searching for the scattered shards of the Shikon no Tama with a ragtag group, facing down creatures she had always believed as myths. For three long years, she had juggled between her life as a normal twentieth century middle school girl and her sudden life as a time-travelling miko whose main training took place battling against youkai and other nasty creatures.

And now it was over.

The Shikon no Tama had been purified out of existence due to a pure wish and Naraku and his reincarnations had been destroyed. It was all over. And so was her double life. Except, she never had the chance to choose. Just like the time Inuyasha had stolen the Shikon no Tama, she was now stuck on one side of the well, the side where youkai still roamed freely in the Sengoku period.

During the year of travel with Miroku-sama and Sango-chan, _(without the threat of Naraku and after suffering so many loses, they had decided to sightsee the whole of Japan while eliminating bad youkai on the side before finally settling down)_, Kagome had eventually come to terms with living, growing old, and dying here. But her heart still saddened at the thought of her oblivious family still waiting for her return four hundred years in the future, so she was keeping an eye out for a way to accurately deliver them a message after the well was sealed off.

In the future, there were several methods to do so, but it just wasn't possible now, unless she could rely on her youkai friends to do so. She knew her history, had researched in her spare time, so she knew the turmoil Japan was facing and will face. There was no way she could guarantee her friends would survive, especially with how conflict-filled their species in general was. Nevertheless, it was still an option.

For now, she would enjoy their long side trip, an interlude between their heart-wrenching and adrenaline-inducing Shikon hunt and their future relatively more stable life.

**XxXxXxXxX**

It hadn't taken long to find out what was happening, not with the gossip running around. Youkai activity had gradually risen a few years before Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death until there was practically at least one death _(achieved or attempted)_ per night now. Apparently, the most targeted were babies and princesses, so the security had tightened amongst all the noble families. There were even rumours that youkai were going in and out of the Osaka Castle, where the Toyotomi Clan resided, though there were no proof.

This reminded the trio of one of Naraku's tactics — posses or control an authority figure and then manipulate others to do his dirty work. Not to mention, it often made explaining the truth, or attempting to, to the devotees a chore and a half.

However, unlike back then, they didn't have Inuyasha with them anymore, since he had stayed behind at Kaede's village with Kikyo, whose clay body had somehow transformed to flesh and blood after bathing in the Shikon no Tama's purified energy, but had lost her ability to utilize reiki in return, making her a normal woman just like how she had always desired. Those two had married in the three weeks between Naraku's final defeat and the start of the trio's sightseeing journey _(suggested by Miroku after noticing Sango and Kagome's post-war jitters)_.

Kagome didn't begrudge the two of their long-awaited happiness. It had hurt, real bad, knowing that her love interest would forever compare her to another if she had continued to pursue her feelings, so sometime during the third year since her adventures had started, she had decided to let go of her romantic love for Inuyasha and tried to replace it with the love of a best friend or sibling instead. Her efforts had worked, eventually, though the pain still remained in his subconscious, making her wary over romantic relationships. It hadn't helped that her experiences with other past suitors and crushes hadn't turned out that well.

Nevertheless, her love status, or lack thereof, had nothing to do with their current problem. The three of them just didn't have the numbers or power to go up against Kyoto's current ruling clan. Inuyasha and Kijyo, as mentioned, were not present. Kirara, who switched between the taijiya siblings, was currently with Kohaku, who was travelling with Sesshomaru's group. Shippo-chan was at the kitsune academy, improving his tricks. Miroku's life-threatening, albeit useful, kazaana had disappeared with Naraku's death. So, all the three of them had were reiki- and taijiya-related weapons, which just weren't enough to deal with a hoard of both youkai and humans, plus their undoubtedly powerful boss; though, if push came to shove, they would fight back with all they have.

Over the years, she had learnt that they couldn't prevent every bad thing from happening, nor could they always minimize the damage. Sometimes, they just had to make the best of a very bad situation.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Later on that night, they met up in their four-and-a-half tatami mat room in a rundown inn near the outskirts of the city to exchange information. When it was Miroku's turn, he brandished a poster. "I've found us a job. Kurokawa Ryuuji-sama is looking for a female companion between the ages fourteen and twenty for his daughter, Yohime-sama, who is rumored to be a miracle healer and one of the most beautiful girls in Kyoto. They'd be selecting candidates two days from now at the hour of the goat at the Kurokawa manor. Sango's a year out of the age range, but we could lie and say she's twenty."

Kagome frowned, "I know wer're running short on funds, but shouldn't we choose a job that could be finished quickly?" They tended not a stay at a single place for more than a week, unless the situation demanded it.

"I went to the manor for a look and sensed over ten reiki users there," Miroku explained. With Naraku's death, a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders and his violet eyes were less shadowed then they were during their quest. Otherwise, he still looked similar to how he had been when they first met, though he had gotten rid of the tekko that used to cover his former kazaana. His black hair was also slightly longer than before, now reaching an inch or so pass his shoulders. "I think this job might be related to the rumours of youkai targeting princesses. We might be able to get more information if we go."

Polishing her Hiraikotsu, Sango nodded, "That makes sense." Her brown hair was held loosely by a pink silk ribbon Miroku had stolen from a noble he had scammed months ago, which complimented her equally brown eyes and tattooed pink eye shadow, or so the houshi had said.

"Are we aiming to get chosen or do we just want information?" Kagome asked. Like the taijiya, she had clad in one of the yukata Miroku had stolen from one of their past clients and traditional arm and leg guards. _(Yes, being in the Sengoku period for so long with people with questionable morals had skewed her own morals, though she wouldn't actively steal.)_ She had ditched her middle school uniform upon graduation two years into her adventure, replacing it with shirt and sweatpants for easy movement. She still kept her futuristic clothes, wearing the thinner ones beneath her yukata, wanting to blend in with the current time period but not wishing to lose a link to her past. She had studied them in her spare time, hoping to replicate those clothes once they wore out.

However, in her opinion, the biggest change to her appearance was her eyes. Somehow, after the final purification of the cursed jewel, her eyes had lightened from chestnut brown to a pink-purple colour associated with a semi-tainted Shikon no Tama. The closest colour to describe it probably would be heliotrope. No one in their group knew why it had happened, but there didn't seem to be any bad side effects; and they couldn't really do anything about it anyways.

"I think we should try both," the taijiya replied. "After all, we don't know how long this youkai problem will persist. Besides, if one of us gets chosen, we might be able to convince them to hire the other two if the father is truly concerned about youkai attacks."

**XxXxXxXxX**

A scream pierced thorough her dream — a nice _normal_ day with her family on her shrine with no youkai. Before Kagome was even aware, her body had already shifted into a defensive crouch with her tanto — created by Totosai with her blood and hair as its core — in hand. _(Months of surprise attacks courtesy of her friends, mostly Sango, had trained her body to react instinctively to any signs of danger.)_ Miroku, who was on watch, and Sango had likewise done the same.

The scream came again, this time accompanied by a plea for help; and they immediately dashed outside, following the sound. Sango had grabbed her boomerang, but Kagome had left her bow and arrow behind since they were not the best weapon to use in a city. It didn't take them long to find a roughed-up woman curled up protectively over a wailing baby in the middle of a jeering group of low-level youkai.

Miroku threw three ofuda at the nearest one, causing it to screech in pain as the stored reiki burned its flesh, followed up by a hit with his reiki-charged staff, killing it. Sango blocked a claw with her Hiraikotsu, sliced that same arm off with her wakizashi, spun around, and beheaded it. As her friends battled the youkai, Kagome rushed over to the injured and terrified woman, ushering her and her baby away to the sidelines.

The hand not wrapped around her tanto hovered over a bad cut on the woman's arm, glowing pink with reiki. It ceased bleeding a few seconds later, and then, it started knitting back together until a new layer of pink skin replaced the cut. In the past year, Kagome had learnt that, unlike Kikyo and Kaede, she was capable of healing wounds, though it was more like her reiki sped up the body's natural healing, so her ability was limited to the extent the body could handle the injury.

"Your arm will still be sore for the next few days, so don't use it too much," Kagome said as she started the process on a smaller cut on the woman's brow. "Do you have any other serious injuries? And what about your child?"

She shook her head, clutching her now quieted baby closer, "No, thank you so much for rescuing us. If you hadn't… If you hadn't…" Her eyes glistened and her lips trembled.

"It's okay now," the miko promised, healing the last of the visible injuries. The poor woman would probably have lots of bruises tomorrow, but at least she was alive and won't be bedridden. "Just be more careful next time. It's not safe to be wandering the streets alone at night anymore." She helped the woman stand up as Miroku and Sango approached them, fresh from the fight. "Where do you live? We'll help escort you home."

**XxXxXxXxX**

"I don't get it," Kagome said, as they walked back to the inn. "Why would the youkai want the baby's ikigimo?"

"It's an old belief stemming from mainland," Miroku explained. "The youkai there believed that eating the ikigimo of Buddhist Sanzo priests will grant them great power. Over the years, that belief evolved to include people others often hold sacred, such as babies, reiki users, and princesses. That would explain all the killings and kidnappings here. The Kyoto youkai are gathering power for something big."

She groaned, "It's like Naraku all over again. Hopefully, this one won't be as annoying with puppet decoys."

"It's a good thing you're already purified the Shikon no Tama out of existence, huh, Kagome-chan?" Sango commented.

Kagome shuddered at the thought of suffering _another_ mess with power-hungry youkai going after the cursed jewel. Of course, this ikigimo belief was guaranteed to have human corpses paving the path to power, but it was still a bit better than a youkai or human or animated human corpses with near immortality due to a single Shikon no kakera or more. She still thanked her ability to sense the jewel. Otherwise, they would've had a hard time making sure their enemies _stayed_ dead.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Miroku eventually came up with a better idea and they went to the Kurokawa manor the day before the candidate selection, seeking an audience with Kurokawa Ryuuji with a proposal of a better protection detail for Yohime in the form of female companions as personal bodyguards.

"We are a travelling group of youkai slayers," Miroku explained, once they were granted audience with the resident lord. Kagome didn't like him. His aura felt oily, greedy. She was sure her friend had sensed it too. "We arrived at Kyoto a day ago and have noticed your request for a female companion for your daughter. We have also noticed the reiki users you have as guards and the youkai who have been targeting princesses and infants. My sister, Kagome-sama, is a gifted miko and my fiancé, Sango, is an exceptional taijiya. They could act as both companions and personal bodyguards. I am a houshi with the ability to create temporary barriers that could erase the presence of whatever it is protecting. I can hide Youhime-sama and her room at night when youkai attacks are the strongest."

With Miroku's past _(and present)_ part-time career as an experienced smooth-talking conman, the girls let him handle all the negotiations, which took almost an hour since both man continuously tried to up the other one. In the end, with the help of Keikain Koremitsu, the leader of the onmyouji posted here, it was decided that the members of the Keikain clan would continue to guard the manor as a whole while the trio would act as personal bodyguards, aided by the fact two of them could follow the princess when she did girl things. Also, as it had turned out, the request for a female companion was actually a request for a decoy to deceive youkai; so either Kagome or Sango would act as a decoy at night, while the other would hide behind Miroku's barrier with the princess.

They would have to work around the clock, but in return, the trio would be given free room and board, as well as a total payment equivalent to three normal guards per week, which was quite a bit considering those guards were paid bimonthly. However, if they left before the pay date, they would not be paid for that week's work. _(Of course, both Sango and Kagome knew that Miroku would simply steal whatever was of value given the chance before they leave.)_

**XxXxXxXxX**

Even at the tender age of fifteen, Yohime was a great beauty, just as the rumours had foretold. Her ebony hair cascaded down her back, reaching beyond her waist, a stark contrast against the silk link pink furiside decorated in large bright pink sakura blossoms. Her unmarred skin was pale, as expected from someone who had most likely spent her entire life mainly indoors, and her fingers lacked the callouses a woman from a lower class would possess. Most importantly, her puce eyes held none of the arrogance and distaste a skin-deep beauty would have upon facing people of lower ranks, something which was backed up by the soft kindness radiating from her aura. But they were sad, very sad.

"Are you alright, Yohime-sama?" Kagome asked, after Miroku, who was better at creating barriers, and Sango, who would lay some basic youkai traps, went to prepare the room the princess would be staying at tonight. "I know it's not my place, but you look sad and lonely. And when you healed that boy today, you looked… guilty, though you shouldn't be. Is everything okay?"

This afternoon, a really sick preteen had been carried in by his worried family. He had been sweating and moaning in pain due to some disease even the doctors couldn't figure out, according to the family. However, he had been cured within seconds of Yohime using her golden reiki on him. Her healing ability was simply amazing. Unlike her, Kagome had a difficult time dealing with diseases and poison that weren't youki-based, which could be purified. In fact, she might even need to spend several days healing the patent before the aliment could be cured.

However, Ryuuji was exploiting such a gift for the sake of money. He didn't even care about the kid, unlike his daughter. He had been bored throughout the session, until the very end when the gracious family presented him with a small stack of minted gold coins. His glee had been clear on his weasel face as he leered the money. Yohime had looked away with a trouble expression upon her father's delight.

The princess' face fell, and several seconds later, she said softly, "Chichiue has changed. Hahaue died when I was a child, and chichiue became more immersed in business affairs, but he was still a loving father. But then, three years ago, a heavy tree branch broke and a guard pushed me out of harm's way, but it broke his leg." Puce eyes glistened in horror as she relieved her memory. "Th-there was so much blood; and I wanted to help him, but didn't know how. Then, somehow, an energy rose within me, flowed through my hands, and into his leg, instantly healing it. Ever since then, chichiue had been telling others of my ability, but would only allow others to be healed if they had enough money." Pale hands clenched her furisode and she bit her lips. "I could hear them sometimes, when the manor is quiet. I could hear others outside the gate pleading for my help only to be turned away by the guards because they had no money. I want to help them, but I _can't_."

Kagome clasped the other's hands between hers, sympathetic heliotrope staring into teary puce. "I can understand how you feel. I, and another miko, have the ability to sense a very unique and powerful jewel that was well-sought by the humans and youkai in the northern lands. Those who had discovered this ability wanted us to help them find the jewel shards, which had been scattered across the lands. Some would even capture and threaten us to do so." The princess gasped. "Luckily, a year ago, the shards were all found and were fused together to form the original jewel. Then, with my friends' help, the jewel was finally erased from existence, so I won't need to worry about people kidnapping me for it anymore. Maybe, one day, you will get your desire to help anyone without the need for payment," she said, smiling softly.

Though, frankly enough, it wasn't likely. Nobles, especially the females, lived constrained lives. Unless the father changed his tune, or her future husband allow her freedom, her wish might never come true.

Yohime smiled back, "I hope so."

Her senses detected youki, just as a cry for _"Ikigimo!"_ was heard. Kagome instantly unsheathed her tanto, facing the direction it was come from, keeping the startled princess behind her. A second later, an eggwhite eel-like youkai with a human-like face flew through the shoji and met the business end of a reiki-laced tanto, turning into ashes upon purification, just as Koremitsu rushed into the room, hand gripping the hilt of his katana.

This was soon followed by a panicking Ryuuji who dashed over to his daughter, saying, "Are you okay? You're my treasure! If you were to die, then I'd…" His shaky tone trailed off as Yohime replied in affirmative. Then, he scowled, pointing an accusing finger at Koremitsu, "I'm paying you a lot of money. Don't let things like this into the estate, Keikain-dono! It's fortunate that I hired Kagome-dono today. If I hadn't…"

"I understand," the onmyouji replied, stone-faced. "I'll increase the number of Keikain members and fortify the seal." With another stern warning, the lord then left to yell at the other guards.

Kagome sheathed her tanto as Yohime kneeled down next to the pile of ashes. "Poor thing," she sighed, clapping her hands together and closing her eyes to give the youkai a quick prayer. The princess really was a kind soul. Not many humans could look past species differences, much less pray for a fallen enemy. It was just unfortunate that she was born as a bird in a gilded cage, made to perform at the will of her father.

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What do you think of my first chapter? **Please**** Read and Review.** I would love to know how good and how bad my fics are. If you want to flame me, at least make it constructive you have any suggestions regarding any potential events to add in this fanfic, feel free to put it into a review.

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize from _Inuyasha_ and _Nurarihyon no Mago_ aren't mines; they belong to their respective owners. Anything else belongs to ask for permission and getting it before taking my things.

If you see any of my fanfics _(regardless of changes in titles or small details) _on _anywhere_, other than FFNet and/or under the name Dementra, then someone has stolen it. Please report it to me if you do discover a theft.

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_May fantasy guide your writing through it all - Dementra_


	2. Whispers in the Dark (1600)

_**Ayakashi no Miko**_

**HI. Thank you for reading my fanfic. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Background information could be found in chapter 1.**

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**New terminology**

Konbanwa — good evening

Chimimoryo — Lord of Pandemonium; supreme master of spirits (youkai / ayakashi)

Shodaisho — supreme commander

Hanyou — half demon

Daiyoukai — great demon

Karasu tengu — crow-billed goblin

Yuki onna — snow woman

Hime — princess

Youtou — spirit blade; made by onmyouji to kill youkai

Fuyoheki — In _Inuyasha_, it's a special stone capable of masking youki. Miroku sucked it up with his kazaana in his attempt to kill Naraku, who had it in his possession at the time.

Shiritori — a Japanese word game where the players take turn coming up with a word that starts with the syllable the previously chosen word ended with; the one who chose a word ending in the Japanese syllable "n" loses;

Rindou — bellflower

Uri — gourd, melon

Rikutsu — excuse, reason

Jii-chan — informal and close way of saying 'grandfather'

-san — a suffix, generally used with strangers or with people of equal or higher ranking

-kun — a less formal suffix, generally used with males of lower or equal ranking

**Chapter 2 ****Whispers in the Dark** **(1600)**

Kagome sighed, staring up at the crescent moon from Yohime's room. Despite the puppy-eyed pouts she had borrowed from Shippo, she had been chosen as the princess' decoy due to their similar body size. So, here she was, clad in one of her sakura-decorated furisodes. It was so heavy and stifling with all those layers. No wonder noble ladies couldn't walk fast, much less run, making them perfect targets during an enemy attack.

The ones living four hundred years in the future were better off with skimpy cocktail dresses and fancy ballroom dresses. Then again, high-heel shoes were a killer. She had tried on mama's out of curiosity years ago and had twisted her ankle for her efforts, but not before enduring Souta's laughter at her wobbly attempts to walk. She sighed again. Mama, Souta, jii-chan, Buyo… She really missed so _so_ much. And they were _still_ waiting on the other side of the sealed well for a reunion that would never come.

"A lovely face," a silky baritone voice drawled, cutting into her thoughts. "Who knew a tormented mournful face could be so attractive against the moonlight."

Kagome swung around, dropping into a defensive position _(or, as much as she could in this stupid thing that _dared_ to call itself high-quality clothing)_. "Who are you?" she demanded.

The intruder was clearly an ayakashi, though he was skilled at hiding his youki. Like most powerful youkai she knew _(yes, she included Naraku in this category; his human façade, at least)_, he was handsome, in a rather bad boy manner, with his hoari partially opened, revealing a firm chest, and smoking a tobacco pipe. His hair was rather odd — gravity defying and growing horizontally behind him — but it might be due to his youki. If it hung down normally, his hair would've probably reached his waist. Also, unlike most, it was dual-coloured — creamy yellow at the top and black at the bottom, including his rather long gravity non-defying ear tails. Under the flickering candlelight, she could see his golden eyes beneath long cream-coloured bangs; and there was also a black swiggly marking under each eye.

He must be very skilled to be able to bypass all those onmyouji defenses, which tightened at night. It looked like the decoy idea was a good plan and Miroku-sama's invisibility barrier was doing its job _(unlike the onmyouji's seals)_. Yohime would've been found dead the next morning otherwise. Hell, _she_ might've been found dead the next morning if he hadn't announced his presence.

Kagome reached up her sleeve for her tanto, but before the blade could even shine under the moonlight for more than a second, a hard chest was pressed against her back and a calloused hand cupped her chin, forcing her head to tilt upwards. The sheath, having slipped from her hands, clattered in the background. Despite her precarious situation, the thing that had gotten to her the most was his height. Did _all_ of them have to be so tall? The top of her head barely reached his chin, though she wasn't exactly standing up straight in this position.

"As rumoured, an unrivalled beauty. I want you," the youkai breathed out, seductive gold staring into wary heliotrope.

She huffed, "You really haven't been around humans much, have you? There are many who are more beautiful than I." Take the _real_ Yohime, who the rumours were about, for example. "Now, let me go," she growled, elbowing him.

Before her attack could make contact, he grabbed her arm, tilting her sideways and making her lose her balance. The next thing she knew, she was on her back staring up at him. The aggravating ayakashi smirked, gradually leaning downwards, as he loosely straddled her, pressing her kimono onto the tatami mats to prevent her from moving freely. "Now, now, there's no need to be so modest. Karasu Tengu was right. You're a fine-looking woman."

As flattering as that was, considering she wasn't the rumoured beauty, she still had no intention of staying literally beneath a strange youkai. "If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better get off of me," she warned, feeling her reiki tingle beneath her skin.

His smirk widened. "Hm… You're feistier than the rumours say." He licked his lips. "I like it."

Kagome's eyes narrowed. She was _no one's_ plaything. She swung her tanto upwards, slicing his arm, making him flinch back. The only reason she hadn't outright purified him was his lack of going-straight-for-ther-kill approach.

Golden eyes looked at her in amusement, holding up his injured arm. "You're really not quite a frail princess, are you?"

"Never have been," the miko confirmed, happy with his comment. She would've never survived her adventures otherwise. "You're at the wrong place if you're looking for one." Kagome held up her tanto defensively, this time laced with reiki. "If you don't get off of me right now, you'd be getting more than just a cut."

In a swift movement, he knocked the blade out of her grasp, but not before getting a taste of her reiki. "Oi, oi, is that a youtou?" the ayakashi asked, jumping back, widened golden eyes fixed upon his blistering hand. If he had been a lesser youkai, he would've lost that hand, though it didn't make it any less painful. According to her friends, wounds caused by a miko's reiki were difficult to heal and stung like hell.

She sat up when his weight left the furisode. "No. Just me. So, don't think that I'm defenseless without that tanto," Kagome replied, lifting up her free hand, glowing pink with reiki. She got up onto her knees, ready to spring forward or fall backwards if necessary. "Now answer me, ayakashi-san, what brings you here? Are you an ikigimo believer?

He huffed, head turning away. "I don't need to eat human livers to grow stronger."

Ah… no wonder he hadn't employed the attack-first-maybe-talk-later-if-target-is-alive tactic. "Give me your arm," she said, gesturing at his injured one. Seeing his reluctance, Kagome sighed. "I give you my word I'll fix this and I won't hurt you anymore. If you don't attack me first, that is," she quickly added on.

The ayakashi hesitated, but eventually held out his harm, body tight with tension. Ignoring the nervousness practically radiating from him, Kagome placed her hands over his wound, focusing on speeding up his natural healing with her reiki. This was actually easier with youkai than humans, since they already possess remarkable regenerative abilities. The hard part was convincing her reiki to not purify her patients.

"What are you?" he breathed out, astonished gold stared into calm heliotrope.

Before Kagome could reply, a voice asked from the other side of the shoji, "Hime-sama, are you alright?" It was Koremitsu, who, along with everyone else, had been instructed to address her as if she was the real Yohime, at least during the night when the plan was in effect. It wasn't surprising that, of all the onmyouji in the area, he would be sensitive enough to feel the intruder's faint youki.

The youkai leaned forward, whispering into her ear, "Nurarihyon." In a flash, he disappeared from sight. Turning around, she found him standing the entrance of the opened shoji leading to the courtyard. "That's what people call me," he said, smiling down at her. "You're interesting. I'll be back." With a single leap, the strange ayakashi disappeared into the darkness.

"Hime-sama, did something happen?" the onmyouji asked again, not entering the room.

"No, everything is alright, Keikain-dono. Thank you for your concern," Kagome replied, subtly purifying all traces of his youki from the air and the blood he had spilt onto the tatami mat and her tanto. She'll keep this a secret for now. After all, he didn't seem that bad; and she wanted to see if he knew anything about Osaka Castle.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Nurarihyon smirked, breathing out a stream of smoke into the cool night sky, barely paying any attention to the sight below as his serpentine youkai subordinate flew across the sky with him sitting on top. "Youhime, huh?" She was a very interesting woman. According to rumours, she was a typical sheltered princess, so he had been expecting someone who was gentler, frailer. He had been pleasantly surprised to find a feisty girl who hadn't been afraid to fight back and had the ability to both injure and heal others. And her eyes… he had never seen a human with eyes of that pink-purple shade before.

Yes, he was most definitely returning there tomorrow night.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Despite his promise to return, Kagome didn't expect he would actually follow up on it. "Konbanwa, Nurarihyon-san," she greeted once he made his presence known. _(Just how in the world was he doing this? It wasn't as if he had a fuyoheki. Miroku-sama had seen to that.)_ "Don't you have better things to do than to sneak into an onmyouji-guarded manor?"

From where he sat by the shoji on the other side of the room, the ayakashi blew out a wisp of tobacco smoke, which was purified upon exit due to the reiki she had laced in the air to prevent Koremitsu from sensing his youki. "Not really. I told you, you're interesting."

"Oh…" she said, feeling a bit disappointed. It was the showcase of her powers, wasn't it? Maybe she shouldn't have been so rash last night and yelled for Koremitsu-dono instead, or simply not heal him. Shaking again those thoughts, she asked, "But isn't there something more interesting going on outside? I've heard that something might be going on at Osaka Castle. They say that youkai have been frequenting there. Do you know anything about that?"

A thin row rose. "For being a sheltered princess, I had expected you would know little about the outside world."

Her cheeks flushed pink. She was never a very good liar, though the practice from lying about her Shikon quest to her teachers and schoolmates had brushed up her skills. "Yeah, well, um… The guards talk about street rumors sometimes. And… a travelling houshi mentioned that there was something dangerous in Osaka Castle. So, do you know anything about that?" she repeated.

"Hagoromo Gitsune resides there, wearing human skin," he replied, breathing out another whiff of smoke. "She has nested in the capital since ancient times and is the only ayakashi who is able to directly manipulate humans. They say she is the greatest amongst ayakashi, the Chimimoryo."

So… in other words, she was a stronger pureblood-version of Naraku without his incarnations but with a bigger ego, and substituting the Shikon no Tama with ikigimo. Just great… But, as for her title as Chimimoryo, Kagome was sure Sesshoumaru would love to have a word about that once he hears about it. The stoic daiyoukai wouldn't tolerate having someone claim superiority over him.

"Then, are you one of her followers?" She hoped not. If he was, they would be enemies, because this Hagoromo Gitsune sounded like a threat of Naraku's nature.

Nurarihyon huffed, affronted, "Of course not. I'm the shodaisho of the Nura Clan. One day, I'm going to surpass her and claim her title."

**XxXxXxXxX**

"You're back," Kagome greeted, heliotrope eyes blinking in astonishment. "Are you sure you have the time to keep little ole' me company? I thought you're working towards your goal. Don't you need to train or something?" She didn't know how strong Nurarihyon or his clan were, but experience had taught her that a foe strong enough to be known as the Chimimoryo would at least take both strength and teamwork to defeat, especially since leaders tended to have foot soldiers.

"Oh, are you worried about me?" he teased.

Her face flushed. "Of course not," the miko denied, "It's just… you're not supposed be here. I really should alert the onmyouji. I'm putting everyone in potential danger if I don't tell them that an ayakashi could easily get through the barrier and guards undetected. Ryuu— chichiue," she quickly corrected, "and everyone else could've been killed before we know it."

Her heart sank and her gaze dropped to the ground. She really wasn't doing a good job as being a bodyguard, was she? A bait, yes _(as usual)_. But, bodyguard? Nope. Maybe she should ask Sango to act as the decoy. But then the gig would be up, as far as Nurarihyon was concerned.

A finger tilted up her chin, making her stare into golden eyes. Unbidden, pink spread across her face at the proximity. _(Just when the hell did he get so close! _she mentally shrieked.) "I give you my word that no harm will come to the residents of this manor," he solemnly vowed.

Her heartbeat quickened and her breath hitched. _Oh, kami-sama, what— I— um… _Wrenching away from his loose grip, flustered heliotrope eyes darted around the room. "Er… it'd be boring just sitting around right?" she squeaked, changing the subject. "Um… want to play shiritori? I'll start, rindou."

The ayakashi smirked cockily, but yielded to her desire to change subjects, "Uri."

"Rikutsu."

**XxXxXxXxX**

Kagome smiled, staring up at the starry night sky. One of the favourite parts about living in the past was this scene. She still remembered the awe she had felt upon her first sight of a night sky that was dotted with numerous stars. Four hundred years into the future, cities would become too polluted by smoke and light to properly make out the gaseous entities out there in the wide open space, where the human race would one day reach many many years from now.

Watching the tiny lights blinking up there so far from her reach, an English song came to her mind unbidden, and she sang:

"_Twinkle, twinkle, little star  
>How I wonder what you are<br>Up above the world so high  
>Like a diamond in the sky<br>Twinkle, twinkle, little star  
>How I wonder what you are…"<em>

Knowing that English would one day be an important language worldwide, Kagome didn't want to let her skills go rusty, so she had a habit of writing drabbles or descriptions in English in her notebook and then saying it out loud for practice. She had also taught Shippo some of the basics during their spare time back then. Hopefully, he hadn't forgotten about it.

"It sounds nice," came an increasingly familiar baritone voice from behind. "What language is that?"

The miko turned around, smiling. She had come to enjoy his nightly visits. It sure beat waiting here all alone. "It's a Western language called English. Want me to teach you?"

In the next minute, the two of them were huddled over one of Yohime's small writing desks with writing utensils at hand. Holding her annoyingly long and wide sleeve away with her left hand, she dipped the brush into the ink and then traced out a letter on the parchment. "The English alphabet has twenty-six letters. The first one is '_A'_. This is _'B'_."

For the rest of the night, she taught an amazed Nurarihyon the entire English alphabet, along with the basic sentence structure and the words he wished to learn, finding it much easier to teach an attentive student than a young and hyperactive Shippo.

**XxXxXxXxX**

"Kagome," she whispered upon feeling her nightly visitor's shrouded youki _(and yes, she was delighted with her youki-sensing progress)_.

"Kagome?" he parroted, confused.

The miko nodded, turning around to face him, smiling sadly, "Kagome. That's my real name. I'm not Yohime-sama, who you originally came to meet. I'm just her decoy, to lure the youkai away from her hiding place at night." She had been thinking about this for the past few days. It was bad enough that she was deceiving her friends, both the one sitting before her and the ones guarding the real princess, but it would be worst if she continued to allow herself be mistaken as another person.

She wasn't Kikyo, the best and most beautiful miko of her generation. And she most definitely not the kind-hearted and stunning Yohime, confined in a gilded cage. She was just plain ole' Kagome, a girl trapped in a time not of her own, a normal former middle school student who turned out to be not so normal.

And, no matter her faults, she didn't want to be anyone else.

Heliotrope eyes steeled. "But I'll warn you now, even though I view you as a friend, I won't tell you anything about Yohime-sama's whereabouts. I'm only telling you this so you can stop calling me by another person's name."

"Kagome, huh?" Nurarihyon said, breathing out a wisp of tobacco smoke _(she just simply didn't understand why people enjoyed destroying their lungs as such)_. "Kagome the caged bird."

Her cheeks puffed out, affronted. "I'm not a caged bird!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Says the one confined in this room every night, only to be released to the rest of the manor in the morning."

"I stay in here _will-ing-ly_ to protect the princess. Besides, Nurarihyon," she said, arching a brow, "Aren't you the same? Being here with me when you should be out there battling to the top to claim Hagoromo Gistune's title? Really, what do your subordinates think about their absentee leader?"

The ayakashi waved his pipe at a general direction. "My men don't mind," he said idly.

_And it's not like they could do anything about it anyways,_ Kagome added mentally. During their five meetings, she had learnt that Nurarihyon marched at his own pace, much like Sesshoumaru, albeit more playful and charismatic, so she could easily imagine his men trying and failing to instill common sense into him.

"Oh, could you tell me about them? I remember you mentioning a Karasu Tengu when we first met."

"He's my…"

The room was filled with quiet baritone chuckles and merry laughter until dawn broke as Nurarihyon told stories after stories of his Clan members' many amusing antics.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Even before she had told him the truth, the shodaisho of the Nura Clan had already known that the woman he visited wasn't really Yohime. Two days ago, when he had been bored, he had headed over to Kurokawa manor to see what his princess was doing, only to find the feisty girl he was coming to like clad in a simple yukata, strolling through the courtyard with a female warrior and a houshi, while another woman was dress in an elaborate pink furisode, tended by several servants.

It was then clear to him either one of the two girls was not who she seemed. After that, Nurarihyon had paid closer attention to the one he met nightly, observing how uncomfortable she was in a fancy and expensive kimono and how her mannerisms often didn't fit a noble princess, though she had tried, and came to the conclusion she was a decoy.

Yohime was undoubtedly stunningly attractive, matching the rumours Karasu Tengu had informed him about. She was a graceful beauty, like most sheltered noble ladies were brought up to be. The gentle princess reminded him of sakura, lovely and pure, bringing about a sense of peace to all whom gazed upon her. With her by his side, he could definitely envision a blissful, peaceful future.

However, no matter how much he enjoyed the idea of such a life, as a youkai, he inherently preferred darkness over light, strength over fragility. And Kagome had that strength. Beyond her ability to both harm and heal, there laid a passionate flame within her heliotrope eyes, a fire that grew dimmer the longer she stayed trapped in the stifling manor.

He really should do something about that, shouldn't he?

**XxXxXxXxX**

Sango couldn't help but notice her little sister-in-all-but-blood was much happier these days, though she didn't quite understand why. Kagome wasn't the type to enjoy life in nobility; and it was quite boring here, especially at night, when the miko had to keep watch all by herself. The only other possible reason was that she had made a new friend; but during the day, after her rest _(since she and houshi-sama had to keep watch during the night, they slept in the early morning while Sango guarded the princess alone)_, Kagome would mainly be around Yohime, Miroku, and herself. It could be due to the princess, but Sango had a feeling it wasn't.

The taijiya was really curious about this, but refrained from asking, not wishing to intrude on anything private. Besides, her sister was happy, and that was really all that mattered.

**XxXxXxXxX**

"Hey, do you want to go outside?" Nurarihyon smirked, pointing his pipe at her. "You're suffocating here, right?"

Kagome nibbled her bottom lip. Maybe. After all, she wasn't used to being confined to the same place for this long ever since her adventures had started. She had come to enjoy travelling, often with no clear destination in mind. Everyday had been a new experience. But not here, where life was mostly monotonous. Just how could Yohime stand a life living behind four walls? Even with the size of this manor, it really just wasn't enough.

"I can't do that," she replied, not voicing out her thoughts. "I told you that last night. I'm supposed to stay here as Yohime-sama's decoy. Besides, there are guards. Eep!"

As she was talking, he had strolled over to her side of the room, grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards him in a fluid movement that had him carrying her bridal style. Her face reddened once she had registered her new position and immediately attempted to wiggle out of his hold, but his grip only tightened.

"Calm down," he said, jumping out the room and knocking down the shoji in the process. "I'm just borrowing you for a night. I'll return you in the morning. Don't struggle. If anything, you should enjoy it," the ayakashi smirked, dashing across the courtyard.

Much to her astonishment, no one, not even the onmyouji, seemed to be able to see them. Masking his presence and sneaking into the manor was one thing, but this? They were clearly in plain view! "Why doesn't anyone notice us?"

He chuckled, "That's because I am Nurarihyon."

She raised an eyebrow. Arrogant much? And that still didn't explain anything.

The youkai leaped over the manor walls and dashed across the roofs, only slowing down to a walk when they reached a busy street. Even here, no one seemed to see them. Did he cast an illusion over them or something? Had he still been alive, Naraku would've definitely wanted to absorb Nurarihyon for this ability. After all, it would've made things much easier for a sneak attack. Not that the hanyou had needed help in that department.

"Don't worry," her friend said, noticing her wandering gaze. "Just lay back and trust me. Trust Nurarihyon."

"Nurarihyon?" Kagome parroted, staring up into his golden eyes. Was that supposed to mean something to her? Other than associating it with this strange but suave youkai, with large goals and seemingly lots of free time.

"Yep, it's the name of a free ayakashi," he smirked. "Why don't you live the way you want?"

She was. Kinda. Without the Shikon no Tama, she was travelling around with Miroku-sama and Sango-chan because she _wanted_ to, not because she _had_ to. This decoy job was only temporary and would only last until they deemed Kyoto safe enough from the large threat hiding in Osaka Castle. _(On that note, she still hadn't told them about Hagoromo Gitsune, not knowing how to explain how she had gotten this knowledge without leaving the manor grounds.)_ So, it wasn't as if she was caged here.

The only thing that would make her current life better was to regain her ability to travel between the two time periods where her two families lived.

Not wishing to dwell on it, Kagome looked around and then back towards Nurarihyon, cheeks still tinted pink. "Um… could you put me now? I could walk, you know." She was more than used to travelling via piggy-back or on Kirara or Haachi's back. Being carried like a sack of potatoes wasn't new either. But this… was a bit more than embarrassing.

He chuckled, not losing his grip, "You're a princess at night, remember? And princesses don't have to walk down the streets by themselves. Just lay back and enjoy the ride, Kagome-himesama." To her mortification, her blush refused to die down for the rest of the journey

**XxXxXxXxX**

Heliotrope eyes scanned the room as she tried her best to ignore Nurarihyon's hand on her shoulder. There were youkai everywhere, many of which she had never seen before. It was rather odd. To her knowledge, youkai don't normally stay in large groups with those not of their own species.

"Ohh… so that's…" a small ayakashi said in awe, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"The one shodaisho went to try and seduce every night."

Pink rushed to her cheek again. _(Just when it had gone away,_ she huffed.) That wasn't true. They were just friends. Why on Earth would someone like him want to seduce someone like her?

"The number one beauty in all of Kyoto."

She gazed downwards. "I'm… I'm not…" _I'm not Yohime. I'm not Kikyo. I'm not—_

"Her name is Kagome," Nurarihyon cut in. "What do you think, Karasu Tengu?"

"I'm amazed," the youkai replied. He was a humanoid black bird, complete with a pair of arms, legs, and wings. His youki wasn't something to scoff at. In fact, there was quite a few here who were powerful in their own right.

For instance, there was the female with dual-coloured hair, red eyes, and snow white skin whose aura felt really cold — probably the yuki onna Nurarihyon had mentioned last night. Beside her was a one-eyed youkai with a top-knot and bread — Hitotsume. Over to the side was one who didn't seem to have a mouth but was capable of talking anyways — Nurarihyon hadn't talked about this one.

Nearby was Hihi, the one with long black hair and a white Noh mask, bringing back unpleasant memories of the flesh-eating Noh mask she had encountered before. In the back, there was a quiet one with long hair covering half his face — also not from Nurarihyon's stories yesterday. His youki was dark and thick, but didn't seem malicious. The worse one was the one who looked like a ghoul. His aura was tainted with blood.

"She's more beautiful than rumoured," Karasu Tengu added.

Her flushed deepened. _(Were they conspiring to make her blush all night?) _She wasn't. Really. And she was perfectly fine with that. As long as people stopped comparing her with other beauties.

Glancing at the other staring ayakashi, she whispered to Nurarihyon, "Is it alright if I'm here?" Surely, some of the ayakashi would protest to her presence, if they didn't want to kill her. She had no intention of making anyone feel uncomfortable.

His grip on her shoulder tightened for a fraction of a second, and then, he let go. "Don't worry, they're all my subordinates." Standing up, he walked off to the side to smoke his pipe, leaving her to fend for herself.

Almost immediately, some of the weaker youkai stepped up towards her.

"Hey, I heard you're a very sheltered girl."

_Er… not exactly… That's the real Yohime-sama you're thinking of._

"Come on, let's have some fun," a little ayakashi with a natto head — Natto Kozou — said, tugging her sleeve.

Before Kagome knew it, she was roped into playing several games and generally having more fun than she had in months. With Shippo-chan off training at the kitsune school, games weren't frequent amongst her current travel group. And she had been in situations where she had turned into a third wheel more than she could count. She really missed the old days when they had been hunting for Shikon no kakera. Even though it had been dangerous and full of heartbreak, her friends had at least been together with her, brightening the darkness and bringing her strength.

He was correct, as always, when he had decided to bring her here. Kagome was better suited laughing with happiness and face flushed from playing rather than being forlorn with loneliness, acting as the princess' double. She was just dazzling, like fireworks in the night sky. Her joy seemed to brighten up the entire room. And his little bird didn't even care she was a lone human amongst a building of ayakashi. In fact, she seemed to fit right in with the rowdy group.

"Hey, Nurarihyon-sama," Yuki Onna cooed, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Let's go have a drink over there, just the two of us," she said, pressing her chilly hands against his chest. He would be an utter idiot if he hadn't noticed her attraction towards him. But, regardless of Setsura's beauty and devotion, he couldn't, wouldn't, bring himself to love her romantically. After all, loving a yuki onna would ultimately lead to death; and he wasn't willing to die for her love.

Instead, Nurarihyon shook her off and strode over to the playing group. "Having a good time, Kagome?" he asked, kneeling down to her eyelevel.

Heliotropes softened, and pink lips tugged into a small smile. "It's really nice being out."

He smirked. She looked really cute like this. This settled it. He was Nurarihyon, and Nurarihyon always chased after his desires without any hesitation. "Kagome."

"Yes?" she asked, cocking her head to the side intuitively.

"Let's become man and wife."

The party around them screeched to a halt. Nurarihyon was aware of the protests from some of his subordinates, namely a flabbergasted Karasu Tengu and a vexed Yuki Onna, but he paid them no heed. He didn't even care that he, with a few words, had managed to cause Setsura to flee the room, leaving icy teardrops in her wake. He only had eyes on his lovely purple-eyed bird at this moment.

"Kagome, you are special." In more than one way. Her powers were not something he had seen before. And her inner fire was absolutely captivating. "I've watched you for a long time and my feelings only become stronger." There was something simply alluring about her, like a siren's call. He smirked, lifting up a hand, beckoning her. "To put it bluntly, I'm in love with you." She flushed even more. "Kagome, be my wife."

**XxXxXxXxX**

Words had failed her when he had unexpectedly proposed to her. She hadn't even been able refuse. Her face had felt like it was on fire. She didn't think she had ever blushed so much or so hard in one day, not even when she had been with Inuyasha. Fortunately, Nurarihyon hadn't pressed for an immediate reply and had brought her back to the manor soon afterwards, arriving just before dawn broke.

"T-thank you." It was almost like Kouga-kun all over again, except the wolf had been much more forceful in pushing his feelings onto her.

Nurarihyon smirked. Pink dusted her cheeks, and she just had to look away, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart. Kagome didn't know how to deal with this. Hojo-kun's attention had been aggravating, especially considering her three friends had been the one to encourage his one-sided relationship. Kouga-kun had been an annoyance, but his 'love' was easier to bear when she already had someone in her heart.

As for Inuyasha, her first crush and first love… He had come with a whole truckload of emotional baggage and relationship problems concerning her and Kikyo. She had breathed a sigh of relief when her damaged heart had finally written up a romantic relationship with him as a lost cause. And, she didn't even want to think about certain enemy's unwanted obsession towards her.

"I thought you wouldn't bring me back," she said, turning her back onto him, feeling uncharacteristically bashful. Kouga-kun would've never willingly given her back has Inuyasha not arrived to save her. And Inuyasha probably would've never allowed her to go home if he hadn't also been able to cross the well. Then, there was Mukotsu. That revived corpse had poisoned her and forcibly conducted an impromptu one-sided marriage ceremony. Fortunately, Sesshoumaru-sama had appeared in time to kill him. _(Come to think of it, she still hadn't thanked him for it in person yet. He had left before she could back then.)_

"I keep my promises. I'm not a youkai who lies," he chuckled.

That was undoubtedly true. If anything, he had come in straight through the front door, in plain sight, with the guards somehow none the wiser.

Hands slid over her shoulders, down her arms, and held her smaller ones in his, as he pulled her flush against his chest. "Come on," he breathed in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "Be with me. I'm going to rule the world. For that, I need you. How about it, Kagome?"

Her heart clenched. Maybe this situation wasn't all that different, after all. Kouga-kun had initially proclaimed his love because he had wanted her Shikon shard-detecting ability. Inuyasha had settled for her because Kikyo hadn't stuck around to help, until the last few months before Naraku's defeat. Akago had violated her soul, digging for a darkness he could use as a leverage to control her for her eyes. Nurarihyon had witnessed firsthand her purifying and healing ability. If he wanted to rule the world, having a miko _(whether he knew she was one or not)_ would definitely be an asset when facing other youkai.

She was tired of having her hopes dashed. "I'm flattered by your interest, Nurarihyon," Kagome sighed, leaning into his embrace. "Really. But I've had more than one suitor, both youkai and human alike, who sought me for my powers. If you desire the same, please leave and never come back. I absolutely refuse to be tied down to such people."

"I don't want your powers. I'm saying I want you by my side." Her heart raced again at his declaration. Wha-? No one ever had—

His hands released hers and he stepped back. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Please don't!" Kagome yelled, dashing back into the room, hearing his laughter in the background. Yes, please don't ever come back. Please. She could handle friendship or having a new adopted family member. But after all her failed love relationships, she simply wasn't really for another one, especially not with someone as silver-tongued as he. Her heart couldn't take another crazy roller coaster ride. So, if he wanted her hand, it would be better if he never showed his face again _(even though, she would miss his company)_.

Nurarihyon chuckled as he ran across the courtyard, using his Fear to make him undetectable. His little bird was just too cute. He wanted her. More than anything. He had a feeling that, with her by his side, even without her unique powers, he would be invincible. He'd be able to reach the top and claim the title as the Chimimoryo.

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What do you think of my second chapter? **Please**** Read and Review.** I would love to know how good and how bad my fics are. If you want to flame me, at least make it constructive you have any suggestions regarding any potential events to add in this fanfic, feel free to put it into a review.

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize from _Inuyasha_ and _Nurarihyon no Mago_ aren't mines; they belong to their respective owners. Anything else belongs to ask for permission and getting it before taking my things.

If you see any of my fanfics _(regardless of changes in titles or small details) _on _anywhere_, other than FFNet and/or under the name Dementra, then someone has stolen it. Please report it to me if you do discover a theft.

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_May fantasy guide your writing through it all - Dementra_


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